Interview with First Cut

This is the world of high fashion -- the models, the runway, and the clothes. This is a world that mesmerizes the millions of people who can't be a part of it. The designers who set the stage do nothing more than take pieces of fabric and make clothes that seem to transform the human body.

Isaac Mizrahi's been fascinated by this world since he was eight. By fifteen, he was actually creating his first pieces. And by his twenties, he was the hottest young designer to land on New York's Seventh Avenue.

Isaac is, admittedly, obsessed with fashion. He lives and breathes it. That's what last year's film, 'Unzipped,' was all about. It was a year in the life of a fashion designer and the collection he creates.

But does he ever wonder how he's going to top himself year after year? The answer is no. Isaac says that he's a terrible critic when it comes to his designs, "I always think that what I'm doing is the greatest thing in the world, until after I finish it. And then I realize that was really bad, so I don't really have a perspective on my work that way."

But, that self-criticism fuels him to succeed. Isaac has a passion for fashion that consumes him constantly. He feeds on everything he sees and everything he does, "Based on art that I see, based on dance that I see, based on movies...I end up coming out with this thing at the end that is my product."

"I always think that fashion is very much...forever. There's always...this perfect dialogue between the past and the future. That's what the moment is. It's not the past, it's not the future, it's now."

Isaac is also famous for his attention to details. Today, he's checking on his models for a spring presentation. Meanwhile, several hundred people have gathered to meet the celebrity designer.

The crowd that's here tonight is not only here to see Isaac the celebrity designer, but also the Isaac who's designing clothes with the same flair for style as his couture line. For this presentation, he's intentionally using real people, not professionals models, "I think this is more relevant than seeing it on models who are all 6ft tall and weigh 95 pounds, although they're real -- somewhere."

Mizrahi has created a whole new line of clothing called 'Isaac' -- simpler in cut, lower in price, and created for people who would never even consider designer clothes. Isaac feels that this new line will bridge the gap of women who would never wear couture or couldn't see themselves wearing couture, "It's a hard thing when you can't afford it. But this is what's so wonderful. All of these really fun clothes don't cost very much."

But, when he gets back to New York, there's always another collection to create. And for Isaac, designing is a labor of love, "It becomes the thing that makes your whole life pivot in the right direction. It makes everything else happen."